The shortest day is long gone, we’re on our way to spring. Anyone on the land, from gardeners, farmers and lifestylers to beekeepers are starting to prepare and plan for the coming spring; the work never ends but a new season will soon be upon us. Beekeeping, like many outdoor activities, is at it’s busiest in spring as we make sure that everything is in its best condition to make the most of the summer.
If you’re considering getting into beekeeping there are three things that you should know: firstly, start in early spring; secondly, begin with a nucleus hive, this is a small hive that will quickly grow into a full-sized hive and will be easier to manage; and thirdly, learn how to keep bees. Like having kids or other animals, it certainly is possible to start and pick it up as you go along. However, it is much easier to learn a bit first; they’re more likely to stay healthy and not cause a nuisance to your neighbours.
Beekeeping clubs around the country are organising their spring classes. I’m fortunate to be teaching at Auckland Beekeepers Club with their Beginners Beekeeping Class (2 days & 2 evenings), and with the more extensive Land Based Training Ltd Apiculture level three course that runs throughout the season with two Saturdays a month. Learning about bees is a gateway hobby that will soon lead to having an interest in botany, ecology, biology, crafting and even woodwork or whichever rabbit hole you choose. I love beekeeping and like many beekeepers, I love to talk about bees and beekeeping; sometimes in schools, community groups or other Beeclubs.
To be a successful beekeeper you should have an understanding of weather patterns, local flora and learn how to keep bees healthy. A beehive in a garden gives honey, more importantly though your garden will flourish and produce much more fruit and flowers than ever before. My courses enable you to learn with like-minded people in a safe relaxed environment, in which everyone can learn in the style that suits them best. This is my last shameless promotion of my classes, and we will be back to themes based around bees, honey, gardens and our environment next month.
A few fun bee facts: bees have five eyes (two compound eyes and three ocelli or simple eyes; bees have a “honey stomach” which they use to carry nectar back to the hive; bees have a “pollen basket” on their back legs to hold brightly coloured pollen; they have a “pollen press” behind their back knee to compress pollen before it goes into their hairy basket; they have a row of hamuli or hooks along the front of their rear wings, this locks both pairs of wings together in flight; bees flap their wings up to 230 time a second; summer worker bees live for 4-6 weeks and winter worker bees live for 6-8 months; bees can smell forty times as well as we can (similar to a dog); bees can sense the earth’s magnetic field with magnetite cells in their abdomen (like homing pigeons and any animal that migrates); bees have polarised vision, they can see the sun on a cloudy day which they also use to navigate; bees have trichromatic vision like us but further up the spectrum – they can’t see red but can see ultra violet. Learn more about bees with me.
Ken Brown is a Land Based Training Ltd Apiculture tutor and President of Auckland Beekeepers Club ken@ministryofbees.co.nz 021 0880 1700
